We recounted and celebrated our events of 2009 at our AGM last Sat. This year promises to be just as (if not even more) exciting, with a fresh line-up of classes, talks, gatherings plus a special visit by Dr. Esselstyn in Oct.

Dr George M Jacobs

If you have any comments or suggestions, feel free to drop us a line here.

Too busy to make your own veg food? The next VSS cooking class may change your mind. Chef Poh Geok - founder of the 5 Loaves brand and owner of Genesis Restaurant - has been in the food business for close to 20 years and knows a thing or two about whipping up a nourishing meal. Let her school you in the art of fast & delicious. Note: This class is almost full.

Does someone keep telling you that they are interested in eating more veg food, but they aren’t ready to go 100% veg? The new VSS publication is written just for them. Titled ‘Meat Less in Singapore Starter Kit’, this full-colour brochure addresses issues on the minds of many people who want to change their eating habits but face roadblocks.

You can download the Starter Kit atwww.vss.sg/meat-less or pick up a hard copy at the next VSS event.

For 2010, VSS hopes to have at least six talks at various NLB branches. We are still waiting to confirm all the details, but here’s what we have so far. Unless otherwise stated, the talks are in English. For more info on the first talk: http://golibrary.nlb.gov.sg/Event.aspx?EventID=32048

More than 40 people gathered at the NVPC to review VSS’s work in 2009 and to plan our 2010 efforts. Special guests were Henny Lim, who told us about the surprising growth of vegetarianism in her native South Korea, and Ana Laura Rivarola, president of the Vegetarian Society of Paraguay (South America).

One area of discussion at the AGM was whether to launch a student membership category. After considerable debate, with a variety of perspectives politely aired, it was decided to offer free student membership to all interested full-time students at or below 23 years of age.

Everyone at the AGM was very happy to see the new VSS publication, the Meat Less in Singapore Starter Kit, which is available both online - www.vss.sg/meat-less - and in hard copy.

Also, our 52-page 2009 Annual Report, distributed at the AGM, can now be downloaded from here.

Pangolins (pictured to the right) are not well known, though they are native to Singapore and the region. Right now, the pangolins’ plight is twofold: they will soon be poached out of existence, and no one knows about it. A gala dinner is being held on Sun, 19 Apr, 6pm, to raise funds.

Contributions from the gala dinner will be used to:

1. Fund a dedicated research officer for pangolin population studies and trade surveys throughout Southeast Asia.

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Ministry of Education officials said that elementary and junior high schools should provide one vegetarian lunch per week to students to promote healthy lifestyles and help reduce global warming.

Deputy Minister of Education Lin Tsong-ming said the ministry has issued notice to schools on the proposed weekly vegetarian meals, but added that the ministry will not force every school to follow the recommendation. One person following a vegetarian diet per day can reduce carbon emissions by 7 kg, said Lin, citing research results.

Nowadays, more pro-veg books are racking up big sales on Amazon and elsewhere. One of these books is The World Peace Diet: Eating for Spiritual Health and Social Harmony, by Dr Will Tuttle. Although raised in the West, Will was greatly influenced by the East. In the following video, he talks about his path to vegetarianism and provides an overview of the book: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLgGnP0pWzM

A new restaurant was recently opened by two Japanese people who came to Singapore three years ago with the goal of helping people here enjoy healthy and authentic Japanese food. The restaurant is about 80% vegetarian. Thanks to Mahn Ling from the Brownie Factory for this bit of good news.

The best thing about my vegan exploration, though, has been the dialogue that's developed directly with Portlanders, and through the miracle of the Internet, with vegans around the globe. I never expected to get tips and encouraging words from readers as far away as Melbourne, Cape Town and Kuala Lumpur.